by Amber Lynn
“You’re supposed to let the man holding you take you home, so you can spend the rest of the night curled up in his arms,” Casey suggested. Well, since it was Casey it was actually more of a command.
After talking for a few minutes and getting more hugs than she’d gotten in her whole life, Jasmine and John left the hospital. She had a lot of things she wanted to say to him, but the car ride with them in the backseat and Kevin driving was absolutely silent as she started planning for their future.
Chapter Nineteen
John was at a loss for what to do or say once they made it back to his place. He was desperate to try to help Jasmine, but other than the already mentioned holding her, which he did as he carried her into the apartment, he didn’t know what else to do. Once he shut the door behind them, he wasn’t even sure where to go. The couch or back to his bedroom?
“When is the hockey season over?” Jasmine’s voice was quiet and a little more composed than John expected.
“It depends on how far we get in the playoffs. Why?" They’d brushed the topic before, but John was bewildered why she’d bring it up then.
“We should start making plans. If you go all the way, what time frame are we looking at?”
Jasmine had her head resting on his shoulder, so he couldn’t see her face to see if there were any clues about where the conversation was going. It definitely didn’t feel like a conversation to the take to the bedroom, so John started walking over to the couch.
“We’d be talking June if we make it to the last series. Now, are you going to tell me what plans we’re making?”
Waiting for Jasmine at the hospital had given John plenty of time to freak out, so hearing there were plans to be made was exciting. Since they were discussing months in the future, it wasn’t realistic that they were talking about funeral plans, which John had thought was something they’d spend part of the night doing.
“June is a little longer than I wanted to wait, but I can handle a summer wedding. To get everything right for it, I probably need that much time anyway. I’ve never really looked at dresses, and knowing my luck the perfect dress is one that needs to be imported. Maybe I should call the designer who made the dress I wore when I won my last award. It wasn’t a wedding dress, obviously, but it was lucky and beautiful. Where’s my phone?”
Jasmine was still in her dress, so she didn’t have pockets to carry the phone. That didn’t stop her from patting her sides, which looked kind of funny with the piece of paper she was clutching flapping around. John had held on to her phone other than the few minutes she took it to call her mom before they left the hospital. He didn’t have to look at the clock to know it was after midnight, so her need to call a designer was going to have to wait.
Sitting down on the couch, John let out a sigh. Jasmine sat up and continued to feel around her dress for her phone. It was kind of cute to watch because of the absurdity that her phone would actually fit in her dress somewhere. He wasn’t really sure how they’d transitioned from dealing with the loss of Meemaw to talking about a wedding. John had considered a few different ways Jasmine would grieve, but planning a wedding wasn’t one of them.
“I just sat down on your phone, and I think we’ll leave it there for a little bit. Can you explain to me why you’re starting to plan a wedding?”
“It may seem like two or three months is a long time, but that time is going to fly by. You’ve got games to play all the time and I’m going to be stuck shooting scenes, so it really isn’t much time to get everything together. How many groomsmen do you think you’ll need? Do you think I can convince some of the women who came to the hospital tonight to stand up with me? What were they doing there anyway? I wasn’t expecting twenty people out in the waiting room.”
John was happy Jasmine took a second to take a breath, because the whole conversation was going over his head. Before being separated for the night, they had been talking about marriage, but it hadn’t been a positive conversation. The fact that Jasmine’s mood seemed to change had him worried about her reasoning. Since John was confused, he went ahead and answered the question he had a relatively logical answer for.
“I called Doug to let him know we needed to end the babysitting early and things kind of avalanched after that. Casey is a phone tree queen, and she kept making calls. Everyone wanted to be there for you.”
Jasmine shook her head a few times back and forth. Her long hair was a bit disheveled, so John reached up to tuck strands on both sides of her face behind her ears. It didn’t help the overall jumble that had appeared since the last time he’d seen her, but he didn’t have a brush handy to do more.
“They were there for you.” Jasmine had a sad sort of smile on her face as she said the words.
“No, they were there for you. You’ve made it clear you don’t think they like you, but I learned without a doubt tonight that is the furthest thing from the truth. They like you so much that the run-ins you’ve had with them, or that I’ve had with them, about us was them trying to save you from the hurt I tend to inflict on women who get close to me. They aren’t exactly great with tact, but their actions were trying to keep you from being hurt. You’re the first person they’ve tried to save from me.”
“If that’s the case, they shouldn’t quit their day jobs, because I was a losing cause the first time we met.”
“You were not. You couldn’t get away from me quick enough that night.”
“Because you scared the crap out of me. Everything I avoided in guys was right in front of me and I suddenly realized why I avoided those things.”
John raised his left eyebrow in question, hoping she would continue her explanation. His hands had settled on her hips, and he thought about pulling her forward so she could rest her head on his shoulder again, but he liked being able to see her face. Even though she’d stopped crying, under her eyes was all puffy and her whole face was red. The look, which he was sure she’d despise, didn’t take away from her beauty. It made her seem a little more like a mortal human instead of the goddess she was, and as crazy as it seemed, John liked the little signs that she wasn’t a porcelain doll.
Since Jasmine didn’t take his facial expression to mean she should continue, John had to prod her. “I’m curious about what qualities you avoid and what you realized.”
“I bet you are, but we’re getting off topic. We need to get back to the wedding plans. I don’t know that I buy that Casey actually likes me, but do you think I could talk her into being my maid of honor. I guess it’d actually be matron of honor, but you know what I mean. I’ve gotten the feeling that we generally like the same things and I really need help making sure I don’t miss something.”
“Okay, hold on just a second. I think you’re getting ahead of yourself a little bit. When we were talking about marriage earlier tonight, you seemed to have some icicles for feet. I was actually worried something had happened and you were going to call us quits. Fast forward a few hours and you’ve had a traumatic experience and the first thought you have is that we should get married. You can’t blame me for being a little confused right now.”
John wasn’t against the idea, not at all. He had a ring box in his pocket as they spoke, so clearly he was on board. He just didn’t think it was something they needed to worry about right then.
“You love me, right?”
“Of course I love you, but that doesn’t,” a finger brushing his lips stopped John from finishing his thought.
“And I love you. Here, read this and you’ll understand.”
Jasmine brought the paper she had up to his face. He could see it was filled with words, but he couldn’t make them out right next to his nose. He tentatively took the paper from her, unsure if she’d relinquish control of it. The smile that lit up her face didn’t give him a clue what was on the paper. He thought it looked like the paper Ernesto had carried around at the hospital until he found someone to take it back to Jasmine, but John hadn’t gotten a good look at it.
After readi
ng the first words, John put the paper down so he could see Jasmine’s face again. “Are you sure this is something I should read?”
There was no question whether the letter was going to be personal. John had become a part of Jasmine’s life, but he didn’t know that he’d earned a right to read Meemaw’s inner thoughts.
“You’re mentioned more than once, so I don’t think she’d mind.”
Whatever was putting the smile on Jasmine’s face, John wanted to be a part of it, so he read on. He hadn’t expected to see another smile for days, even though he’d planned to do what he could to make sure eventually one graced her face again.
He wanted to get through the letter quickly, but as he read along he found himself taking his time to read every word closely. It was more personal than he’d expected, but it helped him understand a little of Jasmine’s unexpected rush to get married.
“Thank you for sharing this with me. Your grandma was a very special lady, and I wish I would’ve had more time to get to know her.” John handed the paper back to her and watched as she looked down at it, scanning the words.
“I do too. My mom was around most of the time when I was a kid, but Meemaw was always there. She made me who I am and even when she was getting ready for her death, she was teaching me. I’ve thought for a long time that I’m old enough to know everything I need to, but I was wrong.”
John learned new things every day, so he didn’t share the same belief, and he had a feeling Jasmine was talking about something more than just picking up a book and reading up on a new topic. There were a lot of things to read into Meemaw’s letter that could possibly be part of whatever Jasmine was excited about.
“Will you share with me what you learned?”
Jasmine nodded and climbed off John’s lap so she could snuggle next to him on the couch, putting the paper down on the coffee table. In the move she grabbed ahold of his left hand and squeezed tightly. Her mood had changed so much from what it was at the hospital that it seemed she was trying her hardest to do as her grandma instructed and not cry.
“Obviously a lot of things, but the way she described the love she felt for Hank really clicked with me. I am so terrified that these feelings I have for you just came out of nowhere. I just know I’m going to do something stupid to ruin everything. That’s why I’ve decided I’m not going to be afraid anymore. I want us to get married, no matter what people are going to say about the timing. I’m sure the papers are going to claim I’m either distraught from Meemaw’s death or pregnant.”
“Let them assume what they want. As long as you’re not doing it because you really are distraught, then you won’t get an argument out of me. Are you sure the June date you were trying to pull out of me is long enough to make sure you really want to spend the rest of your life with me?”
John wished she’d have stayed on his lap so he could look at her. Looking over to the television in front of him didn’t answer the question of how serious she was about getting married. Short of getting some kind of truth serum, there wasn’t a way for him to tell how much the events of the day were influencing her decision.
“I forgot to say I was sorry about earlier. I don’t know what got into me when I started freaking out.”
“I’m not exactly sure what you’re talking about, and how that relates to your willingness to live with me on a permanent basis.”
“The freak out about everyone thinking we shouldn’t get married. And obviously I’m all in for spending the rest of my life with you. I didn’t have to stay here every night we’ve been together. Normal relationships don’t work like that. They don’t even work like that in those instant-love scripts I turn down. Usually the two people involved keep their lives how they were, they just work in spending time with the other person until little by little they end up moving in together. I have a good chunk of my wardrobe already in your closet and I barely remember the last time I had a shower at my place.”
She was rambling again, but it was so cute the way she kept going that John didn’t try to stop her. He leaned down and kissed her head when it seemed like she’d stopped for a breath.
“If you’d rather we go to your place and shower, I’m sure we can work something out.”
Jasmine playfully smacked his chest. “I don’t want to go to my place. As far as I’m concerned, we could sell it tomorrow and I wouldn’t shed a tear. We should probably think about finding a place together when we start having kids, but I think that’s something to worry about a little ways down the road. Maybe next year?”
“Before too long we’ll need to discuss how committed you are to living in the city in general, because my position with the Tigers isn’t guaranteed next year. I think I have at least five more playing years in me, but I don’t know where they’ll be.”
As it was, chances were that Jasmine’s work would take her away for chunks of the year. She’d mentioned shooting in other countries and John was still trying to come to terms with that. He didn’t even attempt to throw in the idea she could be pregnant some of the time she was off working.
“We’ll have to discuss that when contract talks come up, but with us getting married and hopefully starting a family next year, since you didn’t freak out when I just tried to put a timetable on it, I think it’s time I cut back on my commitments. There may be a few interesting things that come up, but I’ve lived the Hollywood starlet life. It’s time I started a new story for myself, and I want it to be with you.”
Jasmine sat up enough that she could reach over and turn John’s face so their lips touched. She tried to keep it short and sweet, but he wasn’t ready for it to be over. He licked her lips when he thought she was going to pull away, which caused her to sigh. Just a small opening of her lips was enough for him to get his tongue inside her warm mouth.
With Jasmine there in his arms, it was hard to remember they were mourning the loss of someone important to her. The day after she’d learned about her grandma’s illness, John had only been able to come up with one way to occupy her mind. He had a feeling he’d be able to rely on his fallback if all else failed, but things had changed and he wanted to try something different.
“Wait, wait, wait,” he said quickly as Jasmine shifted to get back in his lap. The little moaning noises coming out of her made it clear she didn’t mind taking things further.
“What?” There was frustration in her voice, but she sat up and leveled him with a glare that indicated he better have a good reason for stopping what he started.
“I love when you get cranky like that, but you’ve been talking about getting married and you’ve said all sorts of romantic things when it comes down to it. I’m feeling a little left out, so it’s my turn.
John reached into his left pocket and pulled out the box he’d been carrying since that afternoon when he’d picked out the ring. It was going to need to be resized, but at least their engagement could be official.
“Where did you get that?” Jasmine’s eyes were glued to the black box.
The only noise that could be heard in the room when John opened the box was a startled intake of breath. The selection at the jewelry store had been a little overwhelming, but when John finally set his eyes on the three caret princess cut diamond set in a platinum band with smaller diamonds in the shape of infinity symbols on either side of the big diamond, he knew it was the one. It was big and a little gaudy, but it fit Jasmine’s personality and he wanted her to remember that they were forever every time she looked at it.
“I didn’t actually have practice today, or I guess it was technically yesterday. I was afraid you’d heard the part of my conversation with Doug by the locker room when I mentioned I was going to go shopping, but it’s a surprise, right?”
Jasmine took a second to find her voice, and what came out was a little squeakier than usual. “That’s a big surprise.”
“Good.” John took the ring out and set the box down on the couch next to him. “You took away the fun I thought I’d have in a month or
so. I’d been thinking of a corny way I could propose, like something during a game or romantic stroll on some trail that ended with you finding the ring. Since you’re in my lap, it makes it a little difficult to get down on one knee, but here goes nothing.”
John took a second to wipe a tear that had rolled down her cheek. “I think we’ve had enough crying for reasons that needed tears. This should be a happy moment. It doesn’t matter that we’ve basically found ourselves in an instant-love situation, which I admit I also didn’t think they were possible until I met you. What matters is that I love you with every cell of my body and I can’t think of a life without you now that I’ve found you. I would be honored if you agree to join me in the adventure that is life, wherever it leads us.”
It wasn’t the speech John had hoped to come up with if he had a little more time, but he could live with the fact that it didn’t sound totally stupid. He picked up her left hand and slid the ring onto it. As expected, it was a little big, but it didn’t immediately fall back off.
Jasmine stared at her hand, which remained in his as he waited for her to say anything. John tried to read her eyes and the tears that seemed to start up in earnest, but it wasn’t easy.
“I know I didn’t ask the magic question, but I kind of thought you’d affirm that we are getting married or at least say whether you like the ring.”
Slowly her head lifted so he could get a better view of the smile on her face. “You know, most little girls dream about this moment. They wonder what the guy will say and what the ring will look like, but I never had that moment. Even at a young age I didn’t think this would ever happen for me, and I have to say I’m glad I didn’t dream about what it would be like, because there is no way whatever I would’ve come up with could compare.”
It felt weird that the night Meemaw died was turning into the best night of John’s life. Somehow he knew she wouldn’t have an issue with how things played out, though. The wedding was going to be hard without her around, but thanks to their one meeting, John knew exactly how everything should be.